‘Himala’ comes to life in Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Norte’s grandest festival will make the arid landscape of the province’s sand dunes sizzle with art installations, music, sports and other fun-filled activities today (May 10) to assert the province’s reputation as one of the top tourist destinations in northern Luzon.

Dubbed Himala sa Buhangin, this outdoor arts and music festival is the highlight of this year’s celebration of the La Virgen Milagrosa Festival, which is held in honor of the province’s patroness, the provincial information office said.

Among the festival’s highlights are the unveiling of an art installation by Leeroy New and the presentation of the Elsa Monument, a statue honoring the character portrayed by actress Nora Aunor in the 1982 movie “Himala.” The movie was shot in the province’s sand dunes.

The Paoay Interactive Sculpture Park also opens today, Saturday, as one of the added attractions in this year’s festival, said June Arvin Gudoy, chief of the communication and media office of the Ilocos Norte government.

Unveiled as a national geological monument in Barangay (village) Calayab, Laoag City, on Nov. 26, 1993, through a presidential proclamation, the Ilocos Norte sand dunes are low-lying, elongated hills in a narrow zone that extends for about 40 kilometers from the coastline of Currimao town in the south to the coastal town of Pasuquin in the north. Leilanie Adriano, Inquirer Northern Luzon